Scaling a Mountain
by DragonFang2011
Summary: Ryuga tries to teach rock-climbing to a couple of children, but it's not very easy. Kids are hard to handle these days... Read and review!
1. The ADHD Kid

**DISCLAIMER:**

I DO NOT OWN METAL FIGHT BEYBLADE OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

I only own my OCs.

* * *

I'm not using the plot of The Painful Truth or The New Generation. Here, Isamu and Yumiko are twins, and this is told from Isamu's point of view.

This story was developed in my head when my family went indoor-rock-climbing in Antipolo!

* * *

"The technique to rock climbing is finding a nice, steady rock or crevice to serve as a good handhold," Dad was saying. Note that he sounded pretty bored, if you ask me. Not that you could actually hear him... or... ask me.

Well, whatever.

As curious as ever, I (in ten-year-old version) raised my hand. Yumiko, who was sitting beside me, sighed in frustration. She hates it when I ask questions—they sometimes get out of hand.

I get it, Yumiko. No need to tease me about it.

Dad looked like he wanted to be anywhere but teaching his kids about how to climb a mountain. "Yes, Isamu?"

So I asked, "What if I can't find one?"

Yumiko face-palmed. Yes, Yumiko, there is such a word as face-palmed!

Dad growled—nothing new, just Dad being... well... Dad. "Just find one!" He was—and _still is_—a horrible teacher. I have no idea how Uncle Kenta got stronger by traveling with him. Something about being pushed around and breaking boulders, I think...

We finally agree on something, Yumiko. I'm glad... No, I don't care that you couldn't care less about my happiness.

I'm hurt a little...

Oh yeah—my dad's _Ryuga_, the strongest blader in the world. Yeah, that's right—I SAID IT! I wanna be just like him when I grow up! Well, actually, I'm sixteen now, so... I don't care what they say about him being evil and demented, because he's the best at what he does, no doubt about it. He could crush Uncle Gingka like a bug! An ant, probably, 'cause Uncle Gingka's pretty tough and ants are kind of hard to kill... sort of... for me.

If you're reading this, Uncle Gingka, you know I love you, so no offense, but I think that Dad's a better blader-_slash_-martial-artist-_slash_-rock-climber-_slash_-wilderness-survivor. Oh yeah, and he can also pawn you at archery, even though he never gets bulls-eyes. But you, on the other hand, never hit the target _at all_.

I could go on forever, but I don't think you'd be too happy about that, Uncle Gingka.

Plus, I'm getting off topic... Yumiko says that I have a talent for rambling...

Alright, Yumiko, I'll get on with the story. Just shut your trap and get out of my face—I'm telling the story, not you! Got it?

Ow—you just slapped me. You just slapped me! Yumiko, I need my face!

Okay, so... where was I? Shut up, Yumiko! Oh, right—I was up to the "Just find one!" part. Alright, so yeah, that was it, right, Yumiko? Yumiko? Oh, _now_ you shut up! Well, it's true that I told you to... tch. Never mind.

Well, Dad was teaching me about rock-climbing. Yeah, I know—not something that he would probably do. He didn't really do it willingly, sort of—I kind of begged him.

I repeated my question. "What if I can't—"

He smoothed back his white-and-red hair, identical to my own in all but size—mine was shorter. "I hate to admit it, son, but I don't know everything!" he said, exasperated. Did I mention that besides getting off topic, I also have a knack for asking a lot of questions? I have a lot of anno—

SHUT UP, YUMIKO!

Anyway, I was confused. Dad always acted like he knew everything. _Always_. Like that time when I found a turtle in the toilet of he was like...

Yes, Yumiko, I now know that they can't see my expression, now please... just... be... quiet... and... let... me... tell... the... FREAKING STORY! Yes, I KNOW THAT I'M RAMBLING AGAIN! THIS WOULD BE SO MUCH EASIER IF YOU'D JUST... SHUT... UP!

So when I found the turtle in the toilet, Dad looked like he knew something about it. At the time, I wasn't suspicious (after all, I was six), but as I grew older... well... things change. Oh yeah, in addition to those two annoying habits, I have an excellent memory and voice. Yumiko calls me a self-obsessed egomaniac, but I don't think that I'm like that.

In case you guys can't tell, I'm smirking right now.

Don't roll your eyes at me, Yumiko.

So... Dad told me that he didn't know everything. I was confused, but I just let that slide, and instead, asked, "Can we just get on to the rock-climbing already?" Ten years old was the age when I wasn't that good at rambling.

He sighed, seeming relieved. "Alright." He gave me a gentle shove towards the cliff. "Go as high as you can."

"But won't I fall?" I yelped. "I need a rope!"

"You can't rely on rope all the time. If you fall down the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, all alone, you most likely won't have any rope to help you. Plus, those things are useless."

"You didn't think that they were useless when you used one to help make yourself a hammock yesterday," Yumiko said. She was always the smart-mouth out of the two of us twins. Actually, I hate to admit it, but she's smarter than me.

You're welcome, Yumiko. No need to look so smug about it.

Dad scowled. "That's different!" Then, he grumbled under his breath, "And that hammock broke as soon as the dog sat on it, so that just proves my theory that rope is useless."

"Rope is actually one of the most useful inventions ever created!" Yumiko protested. What a dork...

OW! No, I won't apologize! OW!

"What?" I scoffed. "You have a special connection with rope? A rope obsession? Huh? Do ya?"

"Shut up, Isamu." Seething, Yumiko crossed her arms and pointed to the sky. "Climb."

You_ climb_, I wanted to tell her. What?

I looked up and swallowed. Then, I hesitantly put one hand on a tiny ledge and started to inch my way up the cliff side nervously.

No, Yumiko, I'm not a chicken! No, I'm not! Gr! You want me to tell Haruki about—

I thought so. Huh. I should've done that many sentences ago.

I'm crushed, Yumiko, I am. (NOT!)

Several minutes passed, and I felt like my arms were gonna fall off of my body, and that Yumiko was gonna sell them to illegal people, or something. I grinned. "Dad! Dad, I made it!" I was so happy that all my hard work has paid off that I felt like letting go and dancing with the monkeys.

No, Yumiko, just... no.

"Yes, you did, son. Yes, you did," Dad said, sounding slightly amused.

And that was when Yumiko butted in and ruined everything, as usual.

That wasn't a compliment, Yumiko.

Anyway, she said, "I'd hate to burst your bubble, Mr. Accomplished, but you're only two feet off the ground. And... it's only been thirty seconds."

* * *

Tell me what you think, and if I should add another chapter about the rock-climbing lesson in Yumiko's POV!

Phew, that was so tiring! All this after I woke up!

Nah, just kidding. I have tons of energy left.


	2. The Bully

**DISCLAIMER:**

I DO NOT OWN METAL FIGHT BEYBLADE OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

I only own my OCs.

* * *

This chapter is going to be told in Yumiko's POV.

* * *

My brother sucks at telling stories, which is why I had to keep him occupied—by tying him to a chair. It was kind of a challenge doing that, since he's stronger than me, but I managed to subdue him. I think he almost bit my left thumb off, though... IT'S THROBBING!

Unfortunately, he looks pretty annoyingly happy now, and is babbling. Luckily, I'm good at tuning him out. All I need to do is to turn around.

… I'm just gonna turn around...

Alright, so Isamu's attempt was bad—need I say more? It was so pathetic that I burst out laughing right after I had uttered the words, "I'd hate to burst your bubble, Mr. Accomplished, but you're only two feet off the ground. And... it's only been thirty seconds."

Then, it was my turn, and let me tell you, I did awesome!

Stop giggling, Isamu. Yes, I could hear you! And yeah, you _are_ giggling... I hate you too.

Alright, I admit it—I was pretty horrible as well, but not Isamu-level horrible. I mean, I made it up the cliff side by like, seven feet, only to lose my grip on a particularly slippery ledge and plummet to the ground onto my father's head. Yeah, he wasn't too happy about that, either, so he decided to move backwards a bit.

Thanks, Dad.

Hey, at least I didn't give up, like Isamu did. I tried again and again and again, each time getting a teensy bit higher than before, but I still kept falling, thanks to that damn ledge. Those times, Dad wasn't there to break my fall, and he didn't bother to catch me, so... yeah. It hurt. You're a great dad, Ryuga.

Not really.

After my sixteenth attempt, Dad swung me onto the ground next to Isamu by my waist before I could try climbing higher one more time. "Alright, Yumiko," he said firmly. "That's enough. If you break something, your mother will never forgive me."

"If she punches you in the gut," I said. "I would be so very happy and forever grateful to her."

Dad grinned and mussed up my hair. "That's why you're my favorite."

Isamu pouted at that, so to make him feel worse, I stuck my tongue out at him. Let me tell you, Dad is a _horrible_—and I mean _horrible_—influence, but that's what I love about him. "Relax, Isamu," Dad said, setting my brother on his knee. "I was just kidding."

It was my turn to pout, because Isamu didn't look so down anymore. Somehow, I like seeing him suffer. I dunno. It's just his attitude, probably—the way he reacts to stuff is pretty funny. Seriously. There was this one time when that turtle... well, he already told you about that one. But there's more! Isamu was being too much of a narcissist to mention that when he found the turtle, he screamed like a toddler and came running down the stairs without pulling his pants up. It was _that_ hilarious. Best part: I got it on tape, because, you know... I'm a genius.

It's gonna make awesome blackmail material and I still haven't showed it to anyone but my family—not even now... ten years later. There will come a time when I will need that footage, and use it. Maybe I could show Haruki... my secret crush, Uncle Gingka's son, and Isamu's best friend... or Kyoko—Uncle Kyoya's son, also Isamu's best friend...

Yeah... good times. Now Isamu's a _little_ smarter, so it's not as funny.

Not!

Actually, since he's smarter now, it's even funnier whenever he messes up!

Back to the story—I'm beginning to act like Isamu. Ugh... I just shuddered.

Anyway...

I wasn't too psyched that Dad was pretty much ignoring me, so I tugged on the leg of his jeans, and when he looked down, I gave him... The Face—big sad eyes, quivering lower lip, the works. _Yeah, that's right Dad_, I thought. _Be afraid_.

Hey, I did what I had to do. Dad never resists The Face.

Shut up, Isamu. That was only once!

Dad didn't look very impressed, but he laughed and put me on his lap anyway. That was when I bopped Isamu on the head. I've always been the bully out of both of us, even though Isamu's fifteen minutes older than me.

And two inches taller than me now.

"Ow!" he yelped. "Dad, Yumiko hit me! Again!"

Dad sighed. "Yumiko, how many times have your mother and I told you not to physically or mentally hurt your brother!"

"I dunno," I said.

"Well, that's a first," Isamu grumbled.

Of course, that got me really mad. "Why don't you shut up?"

"Why don't you make me?"

But before the two of us could have a go at it, Dad grabbed the backs of our shirts and carried us to the car, kicking and screaming... Isamu and myself were kicking and screaming... not Dad. Just to be clear on that. Dad never kicks and screams. It would mess up his ego, which is twice the size of the world.

"If I hear so much as a peep from either of you, I'm putting you two in... solitude!"

Dad refuses to say the words "time-out." I don't know why, until Mom said that it ignites his childhood memories. Maybe time-out was different like, a hundred years ago.

Don't give me that look, Isamu. Yes, I know that Dad's not that old... Wait, how old is he? OMIGOD, THAT'S OLD!

Isamu just told me that Dad's thirty-five years old! He's _old_! I can't believe it—he still looks like he's in his late teen years, almost like how he looked like when he was nineteen, or something, which was when Isamu and I were born.

Weird, huh? Our parents were pretty young when Mom gave birth to us.

No, she's not a slut, or anything like that, and Dad didn't rape her. And if anyone dare says otherwise to my face, I WILL RIP THEIR FREAKING THROAT OUT AND MAKE THEM SWALLOW IT, EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE A THROAT ANYMORE!

Glad to get that one out of my system.

For once, you're right, Isamu. I _so_ need to sign up for anger management classes...

Stop smirking! Fine, I admit it—you have your smart-ass moments... every once in a while. Don't make me regret complimenting you! What? I have to do something to balance out my niceness and meanness! Yes, Isamu, there are such words! Look it up!

It's something called the Internet! Oh, wait, that's the line I use on Mom and Dad...

Crap. Nothing, Mom! Just talking to Isamu! Yeah, I tied him up—why else would he be here? What? No, I'm not using your recorder! Why would you ask that? I'm sorry! I didn't call you old-fashioned! I was saying how out-of-fashion my boots are now!

Shut up, Isamu!

Great—she's calling me. I'm in trouble. _Just_ great.

Gr... Isamu, I swear once I get out of this, I will personally poke your gold-flecked purple eyes out of your skull and feed it to Chase.

BTW, Chase is a silver-and-white Siberian Husky with one golden-brown eye and one ice-blue eye. Ah... _Chase_... Love that name, but I have to admit that it was Dad who came up with it.

Why do I have to be descriptive about your eyes and Chase, whom I love with all of my heart? Because I _like_ being descriptive, and I want the audience to know your eye colors before they disappear down Chase's gullet! Problem?

Omigod, Isamu, did you just call me heartless?

* * *

Sigh... I love Chase... I've always wanted Ryuga to have a dog...

At first, the name was Stormchaser, but... eh... didn't really like that name.


	3. Reflection

**DISCLAIMER:**

I DO NOT OWN METAL FIGHT BEYBLADE OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

I only own my OCs.

* * *

This last chapter is going to be told in Ryuga's POV. It's basically his reflection on being a father.

* * *

I heard the twins having a long conversation a while ago in Yumiko's room, until Hikaru yelled at them. Yumiko was doing most of the talking, though, and it was about the first time she tried out that wall. I bet that she was telling the whole story to this very recorder I'm using.

And now that I think about it, I think that I heard Isamu telling his part of that event this morning, before Yumiko started. Huh. Seems like they're keeping track of the important parts of their lives, not that I think that their first visit to my favorite rock-climbing cliff was all that important.

Weirdos.

Alright, so raising children isn't easy—not even a little. At least for me. There's my eldest child, Isamu. I... I don't really know how to describe him, but he's somehow excitable. Possesses the attention span of a goldfish, which is, to say, not a very big thing. It was kind of pathetic to see my firstborn son to make it two feet up the cliff face in thirty seconds. Not very impressive, if you ask me.

Yumiko—she's the kind of person who would never give up. Even though she always fell the first few times she tried out the climbing wall, she was always one who gets right back up. Because of that, she reminds me of Kenta. Except for the fact about caring for her friends—actually, she doesn't have any friends. She and Isamu, believe it or not, are all but joined by the hip.

They know how the other operates, how the other thinks. They know each other better than anyone else—probably even themselves. It's strange, really, since they almost never get along. But they do have their moments when they show how much they love each other.

Which is why I was so proud of them when Yumiko finally got past that tough ledge—she stuck her tongue out at it, by the way, and I wanted so bad to tell her that the nonliving chunk of rock couldn't hear her—and when Isamu got up to four feet in forty-five seconds. It took them quite some time to reach the top, but they made it, eventually. And that's all that matters.

I have to go now. Today's the twins' birthday—they're turning sixteen—and I want to make sure that they know that I care about them. No matter how many headaches they've given me, they're my children, and I... I really... love... them.

I just wish that I could tell them that more often.

Sigh... I'm just not myself today...

Crap.

What the hell are you two doing here? What? I'm talking to myself! No, I don't care that you think that's weird—get out before I tell Chase to sic you! And wipe those smirks off your faces before I do it for you, insolent little brats!

So much for letting them know how much I love them.

… And I also forgot to get them presents.

Awesome.

Oh, look at that—Hikaru's yelling at me. Tch. She should be used to the fact that I always scream at the kids and whatnot. Well...

Today's just not my day.

* * *

All three chapters were told on the twins' sixteenth birthday.

To all those who are reading this, I'm not going to be uploading for a couple of weeks, unless I suddenly get a urge to write a new fic. I'm working on this new story, and I want to see how it turns out until the end, so I won't have to rush and end up making another horrible story.

Reviews are appreciated!

~DragonFang2011


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